I want to get VCV Rack Pro 2 up and running on my ‘main’ PC.
I can install it BUT it won’t run properly because I use OneDrive extensively.(Major database on another hobby). So no glib remarks like - get rid of OneDrive thanks. It works fine on a small PC, quarter of the power, elsewhere in the house - no OneDrive there).
I paid good money for this product and I ask that whoever built it please put something together so that when you install it - you get the choice where to put directory / files - simple solution and all will be well - especially people like me that have no interest in fiddling bits of code or load instructions that half work (e.g. Ok standalone nok VST).
I have waded through this forum and other places but can’t find anything definitive to solve this - lots of chat, lots of mis-information lots of denial. That’s all well and good but I’m not a software enthusiast - I just want for my $140 software, something that will install correctly and run. I don’t have any other music software that has this issue.
I’m assuming you’re on Windows 10 or higher, and that you are not actively using OneDrive to deliberately sync your Rack2 directory to another machine, to be used by Rack on that other machine.
Yeah, an application like Rack does not work well when the Documents directory is on OneDrive, DropBox or the like. There are plenty of other applications that don’t work well that way either, and I would never ever do it myself. You could try and make the Rack2 directory a link to another location, which should not be on OneDrive, like this:
Close Rack and various DAW’s.
Move the entire “c:\Users\YourUser\Documents\Rack2” directory to another location. This could be e.g. “c:\Rack2”
Wait until OneDrive has done syncing.
Now open the Windows console/terminal (run cmd.exe) and run the following commands:
cd "%USERPROFILE%\Documents"
Now you should be in the “c:\Users\YourUser\Documents” directory where the Rack2 sub-directory no longer exists.
mklink /D Rack2 "c:\Rack2" (or where you moved Rack2 to)
Now “c:\Users\YourUser\Documents\Rack2” exists again but is a symbolic link pointing to (e.g.) “c:\Rack2”.
Caveats:
I don’t know whether OneDrive has a problem with symbolic links.
I haven’t tried it so can’t guarantee that it works for Rack. If it doesn’t you can always just delete the link and move the Rack2 directory back again.
Well behaved applications should support this method, but you never know what lurks down inside some module or dependency.
I take absolutely no responsibility for any damages that might occur !!!
If you try it then let us know if it works. Good luck!
If you create a .bat file and put “Rack.exe -u .” in it, Rack will run in portable mode, all dependencies will be installed inside the Rack Folder and you can start it from anywhere.
You haven’t provided any specifics on exactly what’s not working for you.
I’m running Rack in Windows 11, installed in the default location, with OneDrive, and I don’t have any issues in normal use.
There’s one minor module developer thing where the default Rack make install doesn’t copy the plugin to the correct folder, but I have a simple workaround for this, as it’s not something I need to do very often.
But, since you paid for it, and this is not the official place to get support or draw the attention of the people who can actually do something about your issue (whatever it is), you need to be working with VCV support: VCV - Support (vcvrack.com)
I agree that rack -u is probably the better way to go, after moving the Rack2 directory.
I’m curious why not? This is not about the old .lnk files. This is the new feature, introduced in the win8.1 timeframe I think, to bring proper links to Windows, and they seem to me to work quite nicely.
If symlinks are confusing, I don’t think the correct solution is “don’t recommend attempting anything” with them - and instead attempting something with them and getting to know them. The point of file system links being confusing isn’t OS dependent, and the way creating NTFS symlinks works since the Windows 10 Creators Update (name not referring to creating symlinks, lol) makes them a tool like any other, imo.
Install graphical interface and you’ll be all set. I had never messed with symlinks before this guide, which was like 6-8 years ago at this point and have been using ever since.
I’m pretty sure that by default symlinks do not require explicit application support, and are implemented in the standard Windows API’s that applications just use to open directories and files. But yes, testing is always good.